Sarah
Hawkins Genealogy Site
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Taunton Courier. Bristol and Exeter Journal, and Western Advertiser. Wednesday 15 Mar 1922
Page 10 Column 5
100 SOMERSET WORTHIES
BY S.E.D.
THE REV. BENJAMIN FAWCETT (1715-1780), Taunton Nonconformist Minister. - The Rev. Benjamin FAWCETT was a student of Dr. Doddridge's Theological Academy at Northampton. On 14th April, 1741, Dr. WATTS wrote to Dr. DODDRIDGE, saying:- “I obtained from the fund for Mr. FAWCETT an approbation of his going to Taunton,” while Dr. DODDRIDGE, writing from Taunton on 17th June, 1741:- “On Tuesday I dined with Mr. FAWCETT's betrothed, a sweet girl, truly, fair as alabaster, with black eyes and hair, a pretty little mouth, and wanting only a little more colour in her cheeks, which now and then I gave her! These sons of Levi take for their wives the best of the flock, and it is but fit they should.” Mr. FAWCETT was ordained for Paul's Meeting at Taunton by Dr. DODDRIDGE, who thus describes the ceremony:- “Yesterday I preached and prayed over Mr. FAWCETT. We had, I supposed, near 2,000 persons present, of whom 40 were ministers. I was treated by them with a deference of which I was quite unworthy, and forced by them to submit to honours which I should rather have bestowed on the least of my brethren, and, bless God, I went through my work with cheerfulness, though I had no sleep the night before.” On 28th Jun, 1741, Dr. DODDRIDGE again wrote to his wife, saying:- “I have the pleasure to hear that my ordination sermon at Taunton was very well accepted. I have been desired to print it, but have declined.” On July 18th, following, he writes again to his wife:- “Mr. FAWCETT informs me that a kind of pestilential fever rages in Taunton, and has carried off four out of five. He adds that several very useful person have already been removed by it, and that one of the family where he lives is fallen of it. I have a thousand fears for his valuable life.” The Rev. Benjamin FAWCETT afterwards removed to Kidderminster.